


Last Ticket Home

by Ologyyy



Category: Yuri!!! on Ice (Anime)
Genre: Feelings, First Meeting, M/M, Romance, Short Story, good ending, its sappy and i try to be a bit poetic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-26
Updated: 2017-11-26
Packaged: 2019-02-07 02:57:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,373
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12831864
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ologyyy/pseuds/Ologyyy
Summary: Yuuri Katsuki is a tired college student on his way home from the library in an uncertain city. He encounters a challenge, a sour bus driver and the collective dread of every college student whenever anyone mentions the word money. How will he handle the situation? Only a very short time will tell as I am too impatient to not introduce all of the characters right away, oops.





	Last Ticket Home

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first story here on AO3, I hope you enjoy! Please leave a comment and kudos if you liked the story!

“Sir, you don't seem to have enough for the bus ticket. Do you have any more money?” Yuuri's face contorted into something of confusion and annoyance. The last few weeks of his life had been hard on him with upcoming exams, his last papers he had yet managed to finish, more instant meals he would ever admit he had eaten and the ever-growing need for a serious vacation away from college.

 

He sighed and dug into his left pocket, and then his right pocket, and then the left pocket of his pants. The annoyance Yuuri previously felt changed into anxiety as he came up empty-handed.

 

This was after all the last bus available this evening, not being able to make it home tonight and having to stay in the big city after studying for hours at the library, and having to find a place to crash, did not seem appealing to Yuuri as he stood there in front of the bus driver. A bus driver who did not seem like the kind of person who would let Yuuri get on without paying the complete fine.

 

“Oh... I’m sorry I don’t seem to have enou-” Yuuri started, hoping that explaining himself would somehow soften the harsh bus driver’s heart. However, in the midst of attempting to explain himself and saving his own ass from an uncertain night alone in the big city, Yuuri was cut off by another man behind him.

 

“I'll pay for the both of us if that's okay.”

 

Yuuri turned around to look at the man, surprise washing over his face, as he looked at the stranger he had not noticed standing behind him. The first thing Yuuri noticed was that the man was taller than he was. The second thing, which captured his attention, was the suave air around him as he walked up to the bus driver, dropping the money into the driver's hand with a smile splitting his face as he asked: “is this enough for the both of us?”

 

Yuuri had moved to the side, further into the bus as he watched this event play out in front of him. “Yes, that seems to be enough.” Responded the driver, and gave the man a receipt for the payment.  
Yuuri remained, not knowing how he should thank the man in front of him. Unknowingly or not, this man had just saved him from a cold night alone with no money. Yuuri could feel an icy shiver running down his spine at the mere thought of not making it onto this bus.  
Before any sentence could be formed by Yuuri's overworked brain, the man in front of him finally looked back at Yuuri. His gaze lifted from his torso to his face, taking Yuuri in and compelling Yuuri to stare back into the man's eyes. 

 

His eyes were... bright Yuuri found himself thinking, with the lack of a better word, blaming it on the hours he had spent researching for one of his papers due next week. The stress and performance anxiety always swallowed him up during the last weeks of the term. This caused Yuuri to become what could only be described as a hermit. A hermit who rarely went outside, except for when he had to go to the big library in the city. 

 

The two of them continued to stare at each other. The man in front of Yuuri lifted a questioning brow, probably wondering why Yuuri had not moved or even thanked the man for paying for him. Yuuri felt his cheeks heat up, fortunately not completely forgetting his politeness under all of the stress he is undergoing.  
“Oh... I... Thank you so mu-” Once again Yuuri was cut off from what he was about to say. Except this time, it was not because of the man standing in front of him, but because of the sudden shift in motion beneath his feet. Yuuri tumbled backward, barely managing to remain standing as the bus suddenly moved. A clear representation of the bus driver`s patience so late at night.

 

As well as Yuuri, the stranger in front of him moved too. The stranger must have in some way foreseen the sudden shift beneath their feet because he simply moved towards Yuuri, movements controlled and balanced; Yuuri, on the other hand, was about to fall flat on his ass.

 

“Shit!” Yuuri exclaimed, grabbing desperately for something to hold onto. His hands flailed in the air, nothing in his reach. Yuuri braced for impact, squeezed his eyes shut and hoped for a not too hard landing. Ending up in ER would just be the cherry on top of this horrible evening.

 

In spite of Yuuri's preparations, he never seemed to hit the cold, hard floor of the moving bus. Yuuri opened his eyes, curious to see what or who could have stopped his fall. As he looked up, Yuuri met once again with the sight of the unnamed man leaning over him. Bright and bold eyes stared down at him.  
He was simply not leaning over him, Yuuri realized after a second or two, the man was also holding him up with his arms. At this realization, Yuuri flushed yet again for the second time in five minutes. The man's hands were wrapped around Yuuri's waist. The heat emitting from them burned through Yuuri`s light jacket and Yuuri was suddenly hyper-aware of the cold air around him. 

 

“Careful,” spoke the man, softly as he looked at Yuuri with honest concern.  
"Wouldn’t want to hurt ourselves, would we?" The question was rhetorical of course, Yuuri knew that. Despite this, he couldn't help feeling like he wanted to answer it as he was suddenly put back on his feet and the man started to move to take a seat.  
Yuuri did not understand why, but he felt compelled to continue talking to the man, at least thank him for saving him twice in one evening.

 

With false courage only gathered from sleep deprivation and the lingering touch of the stranger's hands, Yuuri walked over to where the man had seated himself and sat right next to him. 

 

Immediately after doing this, Yuuri regretted it, anxiety kicking in and making him second guess himself and his actions. The seat under him was too harsh, the padding, which was supposed to make the bumps in the road tolerable, had withered away over the years and left an uncomfortable gap in the middle of the seat. The cold air against Yuuri's too hot skin made him even more aware of his severe blushing as he felt the man's eyes watching him from his side. The cramped air tightened his lungs, what had Yuuri done?

 

This was a mistake, a horrible, horrible mistake. Yuuri’s thoughts started to race, as they always do whenever he does something stupid like this. What was I thinking? That I would just walk over to him, sit down, and actually act like a normal person for once in my life? Yuuri could nearly laugh at his own foolishness if he were alone.  
He had been caught up in the moment, staring up at the stranger's eyes, the bravado rushing through him. I fuck everything up don`t I? Yuuri did not dare look at the man, certain he was still staring at him, wondering why this strange person was sitting beside him, wondering when he would just leave. 

 

I fuck up every, single thing. 

 

“Hey, again.” Chimed a voice. Yuuri froze, his darkening thoughts vanishing in an astonishing moment as Yuuri turned to look at the man without thinking.  
They were more or less the same height now, Yuuri realized as he once again met the man's eyes dead on.

 

He had time to take in his entire face now, his previous, anxious thoughts forgotten in an instant as he absorbed the sight in front of him. The man's eyes had captured Yuuri`s attention first, for sure, but the complexion which accompanied them were just as captivating.  
The man's skin was fair, looked soft to the touch and Yuuri was certain it would be if he reached over and touched him to see if he really existed.  
His hair was silver and on the short side as it still maintained a certain length and volume, silver gossamer.

 

Yuuri's eyes moved south, the man's mouth was smiling, cherry-red lips stretched over white teeth and they looked so soft. Everything seemed to be soft, so inviting about the man that Yuuri nearly forgot he had actually spoken to him again for some reason. 

 

“Hi.” Yuuri nearly squeaked out and internally face-palmed at his own awkwardness.  
In spite of Yuuri's obvious lack of social skills, the man beside him huffed out a small laugh in amusement. Yuuri shifted nervously in his seat, this seemed to go… well? 

 

“I'm glad you decided to sit next to me, I dislike sitting alone when I take the bus.” The man's confession did not surprise Yuuri a whole lot. The fact that he had just gone up to the driver and told him he would pay for a stranger, how he looked at him with such an honest stare and possibly saved him from hurting himself, all in a matter of a few minutes, told Yuuri he was nothing if not an extrovert. 

 

“I don't mind, sitting alone on a bus, I mean.” Yuuri knew he was probably the polar opposite of the man sitting next to him, hopefully, the man wouldn't find it off-putting he was like this. 

 

“Then why did you sit next to me? We're the only ones on this bus,” the man wondered. Yuuri looked around to see that the man was indeed correct.  
The bus was empty except for them and the bus driver, of course. In a way, Yuuri was relieved no one else had seen him almost fall flat on his ass, but this made it even more obvious that Yuuri had intended to sit next to the man.  
Yuuri had been caught, in some way. He could not play this off as “Oh, sorry, all of the other seats were taken.”  
No, his actions were clear and the man understood there was something more to Yuuri sitting himself down next to him. 

 

Yuuri knew he was bad at this sort of thing. Speaking in an honest, almost vulnerable manner with other people, let alone strangers. His stage fright and fear of public speaking had been challenged as soon as he enlisted into college, thrown into a room of judging eyes where he had to perform and act during presentations as if the screaming voice in his head, over thinking every syllable coming out of his mouth as he spoke, was not present.  
The same voice presented itself whenever Yuuri had to be open like this.  
He could cry because of a sad movie with his best friend and roommate Pichit, or discuss serious challenges with the other students when presented with a task from his professors, but this, sharing gratitude to a complete stranger who might have saved him from more than one dangerous situation, was difficult. 

 

Despite this, Yuuri felt a surge of calmness as he braced for what he was about to say.  
Yuuri noticed that his shoes had become dirtier than he remembered; he should wash them when he comes home. For some unexplainable reason, Yuuri felt drawn to this stranger, felt like messing up would not be so bad if he did it in front of him. He felt like he could trust him. 

 

“I want to thank you, for you know, paying for me and catching me when I nearly fell.” Yuuri started and moved to look at the man again, attempting to convey his sincerity fully.

 

“So, thank you.” 

 

At first, there was no reaction. The bus took a sharp right, making Yuuri lean towards the man a bit, he smelled like vanilla and soap. The streetlights flashed by them as the bus continued to move, illuminating the back of the man's head every few seconds. Yuuri pictured them as camera flashes; the man in front of him seemed to be the kind of person who loved the camera lens on him. 

 

The heavy flow of a silk-like atmosphere washed over him, Yuuri felt calm as he saw the man's smile reach his eyes, brilliantly bright in the fluorescent lighting.  
The sound of cars passing by and the ever-present thrumming of the wheels and gears under them dulled down as if someone had put a blanket on top of all of it, attempting to shield them and this moment from the outside world. 

 

The feeling Yuuri felt was not a feeling he could easily describe. Everything was subdued, distant, a dream he knew was not real; still, the dream lingered in his mind even after he had rubbed his eyes clean from sleep and had half a cup of coffee downed.  
At the same time everything about this man was so present, so protruding, the last part of his dream he never manages to forget until he has rubbed his eyes and warmed himself up with what only could nurse his sleepy brain into a more conscious state. 

 

Yuuri heard a delighted sound accompanied by the man's hands reaching up to adjust his jacket, nestling it closer to him as he looked down at his shoes, smile faintly turning coy as he blushed.

 

“What's your name, stranger?” 

 

“Yuuri.” 

 

“Yuuri,” the man repeated. “It's nice to meet you, Yuuri.”

 

The way the man said his name made Yuuri shiver in the most pleasant way. 

 

Yuuri felt a surge of warmth spread through his chest, reaching his fingers and the top of his ears. Yuuri was positive he was turning bright red. Why he reacted like this, turning cherry red from hearing the man say his name and implying he was not weirded out by Yuuri’s awkwardness, was hard to say. The only thing Yuuri was certain of was that he enjoyed this. Enjoyed this man and the feelings he managed to coax out of him.

 

Enjoyed it all so terribly much, he missed his stop.

 

Yuuri let out a laugh as he saw his stop pass by, a little bus stop on the top of a hill, a few meters from the start of the college campus.  
The man beside him looked at him, puzzled as to why Yuuri suddenly reacted like this. Despite the man’s obvious confusion, he laughed too, their laughs filling the mellow air of the bus.

 

“Why are we laughing, Yuuri?” Again with saying his name, Yuuri stopped laughing, smile never wavering though. 

 

“I just missed my stop.”

 

The man’s eyebrows shot up in surprise. Blue eyes turning big as if what had just happened was something unbelievable.

 

In truth, it was.

 

Yuuri never missed his stop, it was a small detail of his life, but it was true.  
Just like the fact that he was always punctual was true, and neat.  
Yuuri took pride in his precision, in perfection, and this man had just dented his flawless never-missing-his-bus-stop-record. This man had just made him miss his stop, it was unbelievable, he was unbelievable. 

 

Yuuri laughed again, wishing for this to never end.

 

“Why are you laughing? You just missed your stop.” The stranger beside him was oblivious to Yuuri’s internal thoughts about his daily routine that made the scene so hilarious and out of character for Yuuri.  
Yuuri thought to himself that he must look a bit mad for reacting like this, yet, he couldn’t stop himself from huffing out a few last breaths of laughter before he looked at the stranger again, a puzzled look painting his face. 

 

“It’s just that I’ve never missed my stop before, you dented my only pride and joy in this world,” Yuuri surprised himself with his tone of voice suddenly turning jokingly sarcastic.  
He was painfully aware of how closed off he was with strangers, never being able to joke in fear of offending someone. He was always stepping on eggshells, not for other people but for his own comfort. Despite this, the man had yet again managed to draw an uncharacteristic trait out of Yuuri for the second time this evening, Yuuri found himself completely fascinated with the pretty stranger beside him. 

 

The man beside him smirked at Yuuri’s remark and pushed the red stop button without saying another word. 

 

Settling back, the man let out a huff and closed his eyes. Yuuri studied his face, calm and serene with eyelashes dusting light shadows over the man’s cheeks. Yuuri felt something tighten in his chest; it almost made him forget the fact that the man had pushed the stop button, almost. 

 

“Why did you…” started Yuuri, but fell silent as the man beside him opened a sliver of one of his eyes and smiled brilliantly. Why is it so difficult to speak? Yuuri found himself thinking. 

 

“We have to get you home at some point, right? As much as I love sitting here with you, it wouldn’t be fair to the bed that’s waiting for you at home.”  
The man smiled, Yuuri failed to come up with any coherent argument and opted to sit quietly and study the man until the bus stopped with a light jolt, signalizing that it was time to say goodbye. 

 

Yuuri stood up reluctantly but stopped. He was hoping for one last thing before he could bring himself to leave. One answer to the secrets of the universe. The man remained, looking up at Yuuri, blinding him with his being. He seemed to think something over, opened his mouth, but then closed it again. The action was minuscule, could probably mean nothing and it was quickly drowned by a soft smile and lips forming the words “goodnight, Yuuri.” 

 

Yuuri smiled, could not help himself, and walked off the bus with a nod and smile in the man’s direction. Heart brimming over with flowing feelings and the night air hitting his hot face, he let out a breath. The light of the lamppost over him was yellow and dull, painting his face in a synthetic imitation of the light of the sun. The scene was so immersive, mellow; he nearly forgot to ask for the man’s name, what he wanted to hear the most.  
Yuuri swirled around just in time to see the doors of the bus close and felt panic rise up through his spine. Yuuri moved swiftly to the window where the man sat, knocking rapidly in order to catch the man’s attention before it was too late before he missed his only chance of discovering one of the secrets of the universe.  
The knocking caught the man’s attention; he looked surprised as he saw Yuuri waving at him from the other side of the window. There was no time to lose.

 

“Your name?” Yuuri said, desperation rolling off his tongue. 

 

The man’s face creased up in confusion as he moved closer to the window. He mouthed a word Yuuri assumed to be “what?” 

 

“Your name, please?” Yuuri tried again, a bit louder this time. The bus started to move and Yuuri cursed the bus driver`s patience internally. He had to know the man’s name, he just had to. Yuuri could not explain why or how, but the stranger in front of him had swept him off his feet, quite literally, and Yuuri would forever think of himself as a damned fool if he let him go like this. 

 

The man’s face shot up in realization, smile splitting his face as he started to mouth the word Yuuri could swear would light up the night sky a thousand times brighter than any star. It was just in time before the bus moved away, taking the man with it, evidently no longer a stranger to Yuuri. He felt a tug on his lips as the bus drove away, chest tightening just a bit more as he watched the bus disappear into the night sky. 

 

Yuuri found himself staring after the bus, wistfully looking up at the dark night sky as he murmured a phrase a cocktail of mixed feelings such as desperation, need and fascination had given him. “Thank you, Victor.”

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading my work. Please leave a comment and kudos, it is always appreciated!


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